₿HS027: Fundamentals – Cultivating Love of Reading

SHOW TOPICS:  

Today’s show is part of our fundamentals series where we focus on practical ideas and resources.  This episode is especially for younger parents and is dedicated to developing the love of reading mindset.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:

• Picking the “right” reading material in the context of cultivating the right attitude
• Managing parental expectations is also important because your attitude will impact children’s feelings about reading
• Features to look at when kids first start to read:  

1.      Books that kids can actually touch and get dirty, e.g., choose books that have texture

2.    Books that young kids can easily flip the pages, e.g., cardboard pages, a size they can easily handle

• Anything, even gimmicky books, that engages their interest is good
• Library sales are great places to find cheap kids books.  So are church rummage sales, garage sales and homeschool bookstores that sell used materials.
• Just get kids used to seeing books everywhere … the bedrooms, the car, the stroller, the bathroom
• Giving kids choices with piles of books gives them the opportunity to choose what look interesting
• Tali found that cartoons with simple lines and large fonts worked best with her kids
• She also did not use phonics to teach kids how to read
• Coloring books and sticker books help grab children’s interest
• Choose materials less because of the specific topic, even Bitcoin, but more for positive feelings
• Use tools, e.g., a ruler with the center area cut out, to help younger readers focus and train their eyes
• Stay away from dumb-downed and abridged editions
• Let kids gets pulled into stories, even ones being read by relatives or audible books
• Set the example … let your kids see you read
• Books allow readers to use their imagination.  Exercise the creativity muscle.
• It is a disservice to expect certain abilities and skills at certain ages.  
• Yes, high-time-preference fiat-stress can be a challenge but being aware of this, you can still make reading a priority
• Subtitles on for all movies and shows!
• It’s better to play read stories than to give kids an ipad to watch cartoons.  Cartoons have dumbed-down and overly-simplified language.
• Scott compares kids’ growing brains to AI language learning 
• Get copies of original, unabridged classics.  Build a library.  There are technocrats who are systematically trying to ban, re-write or otherwise remove them.
• Don’t lecture while reading, e.g., with Bitcoin kids books
• Get them involved, e.g., asking questions while reading to them
• There’s nothing more that the child wants than to be with you.  Your presence matters more than book selection.

 RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:

• “Ten Little Dinosaurs (Eyeball Animation)” by Pattie Schnetzler and Jim Harris Amazon
• “How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?” by Jane Yolen and Weston Woods